Apparatus for attaching heels to shoes



Sept. 14, 1948.

Filed Sept. '7, 1946 E. F. SMALL 2,449,333

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING HEELS .T0 SHOES 4' Sheets-She-et 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD F7 SMALL BY' gm @t AT TOR NE.' Y

E. F. SMALL APPARATUS'FOR ATTACHING HEELS T0 SHOES Sept. 14, 1948.

4 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 7, 1946 INVENTOR. EDWARD F. SMALL BY TTORNE Y i thereto.

Patented sept. "14,1948

' UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE Edward F. Small, Newton, Mass., assigner to Compo Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application September 7, 1946, SerialNo. 695,431

8 Claims. (Cl. 12-42) 1, This invention relates to the securing of heels to shoes and more particularly to an apparatus for attaching heels to shoes mounted upon lasts having fastener receiving recesses therein.

Heretofore, it has been general practice to 4secure heels to shoes, mounted upon lasts having fastener receiving recesses therein, by clamping the heel to the shoe, with or without an adhesive interposed therebetween, and then driving a nail or drive screw, via the recess in the last, into the heel seat of the shoe and into the heel clamped Such procedure is rather costly since very often the nail or drive screw splits the heel and thus the heel must be replaced and the ,operation again performed.

It also has been general practice to secure heels to shoes mounted on lasts having fastener receiving recesses therein, by clamping the parts together, inserting a drill into the fastener receiving recess of the last to drill a lead hole into the located heel to receive a wood screw, and thereafter inserting a screw driver into the last recess to drive a wood screw into the heel to effect securement of the heel to the shoe. Carrying out of this method is also costly, since a somewhat complicated machine having two spindles is required and operation thereof is comparatively slow as either the spindles or the shoe and heel must be moved after the drilling operation to allow entry ofthe screw driving spindle. Furthermore, the drills used to bore the lead holes for the wood screws must, of necessity, be slender and they frequently break or become dull causing added expense and delay. .l V

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved method of securing heels to shoes by means of wood screws, while the shoes are mounted upon their original lasts, which reduces the cost of such operation while increasing the output of work.

Another object of the invention is to provide la method of securing a heel to a shoe in a manner lwhich allows the wood screw used to effect the securement of the heel to the shoe to form its own lead hole into the heel to be secured, and

which obviates the use of a separate drilling operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for securing a heel to a shoe, which ,to shoes, by means of wood screws, which is constructed and arranged in a manner to carry out my` improved method in a rapid and efliclent manner.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises of several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all as exemplified in the following disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had.

to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a heel attaching machine embodying features of my invention and showing a shoe and heel clamped together in position to receive the action of the machine:

Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the machine, taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view along line 3-3`of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine, partly in section, and showing the spindle about to be reciprocated to cause the taken substantially wood screw to bore a lead hole into the heel clamped to the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the spindle partially advanced towards the ,heel and thelead hole formed into the heel;

Fig. 6 is another view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 but showing the spindle retracted, the lead hole completely bored into the heel, and the spindle about to be reciprocated to drive the wood screw into final engagement with the heel and shoe;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, of a portion of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a `View similar to Fig. 6 but showing the spindle advanced to its upper limit and the wood screw driven to its nal position to attach the heel to the shoe;

Fig.'9 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, showing the condition of the screw according to Fig. 8, and also showing the spindle after rotation thereof has been reversed to disengage it from the wood screw;

Fig. 10. is a fragmentary sectional view of the spindle showing an alternative method of securing the wood screw thereto; and

Fig. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram of the driving motor and its controls.

My novel method of securing a heel to a shoe mounted upon a last having a fastener receiving recess therein comprises the following simple steps, clamping the heel to the heel seat of the shoe, inserting a screw within the fastener receiving recesses of last and rotating the screw in a screw driving direction while advancing the screw into the heel seat of the shoe and into the heel at a rate which is less per revolution of the screw than the lead of the screw thread until a lead hole is bored into the heel to a depth equal to approximately one-half of the length of the screw, withdrawing the screw from the hole formed in the heel in order to clear` the chips from the screw and the hole, and thereafter again advancing the screw towards the heel until the screw enters the lead hole formed therein and the screw thread engages with the heel material and the screw is driven to its final depth to allow the head of the screw to clamp the heel seat of the shoe to the heel.

This method greatly reduces breakage of heels and can be carried-out in a rapid and eillcient manner with the aid of simple hand operated tools (not shown) or with a power operated machine of the type hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings and rst to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a machine for attaching heels to shoes which comprises a frame casting I having a base ange II which may be secured to the oor with lag screws or the like. A top casting I2 is adapted to rest upon the frame casting I0 and is secured thereto by thebolts I3. Thus', a complete machine frame is provided to support and house the working parts of the machine.

The central portion of the top casting I'2 is provided with a bore I4 into which is pressed a bearing bushing l5. This bearing bushing guides the spindle I6 and aligns therewith the hollow last supporting pin I1 which is secured to the top casting by means of the screws I8.

The last L upon which is mounted the shoe S,4

and all lasts intended for use with the machine are provided with a fastener receiving recess in the form of a metal last `thimble T having two diameters so as to provide a shoulder to engage with the upper end of the last pin I1 and to take the clamping pressure when the heel H is clamped to the shoe as hereinafter described. On all lasts and as shown in Fig. 4, the shoulder of the last thimble is located a fixed distance D away from the heel seat of the last and, as will be later understood, this allows the heel attaching screw F to be driven a definite depth into the shoe and heel regardless of the size of the shoe or the height of the last upon which the shoe is mounted.

The heel clamping device comprises a heel engaging member I9 which is swngably mounted upon the pivot ends of the screws which are threaded into U-shaped end 2l of the'arm 22. The other end of the arm 22 is riveted at 23 to a lever 24 which fits within and is pivoted at 25 to the bifurcated head 26 of a plunger 21 which is freely movable in a bore 28 formed in the supporting bracket 29 attached by screws 30 to a boss 3| depending from the top casting I2.

The plunger 21 has a portion 32 of reduced diameter which passes through a hole 33 formed in line with the bore 28 and a compression spring 34, which surrounds the reduced diameter of the The horizontally disposed end 36 of the lever 24 is bifurcated to straddle the spindle I6 and each leg of the lever is pivotally joined to a treadle rod connector 31 by the clevis pins 3B. The upper ends of the treadle rods 39 are screw threaded into the connectors 31 and the lower ends are threaded into the clevises 40 which are pivotally connected to a rod 4I extending from the treadle lever 42. The treadle lever is pivoted to a shaft 43 held by bracket-s 44 which are secured to the Ibase casting I0 by the bolts 45.

The treadle lever 42 is held in the upward position by a spring or counterweight (not shown) so that the arm 22 carrying the heel engaging mem- -ber I9 is held in a rearward position, as indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1; leaving the last pin I1 unobstructed to facilitate the placement of the last and shoe upon it.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 7, the upper end of the spindle I6 has a portion 65 of reduced l diameter which is threaded to receive a mating threaded portion formed in the head of a wood screw F which the operator screws to the spindle while the spindle is not rotating. After the wood screw has been threaded to the spindle, the last L is placed in position upon the last pin I`1. The operator then locates the heel H and depresses the treadle 42 whichcauses the arm 22 to swing into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the heel engaging member to contact the heel. Further depression of the treadle overcomes theupward bias of the spring 34 and the complete clamping unit moved downwardly to rmly clamp the heel to the shoe.

The lower end of the spindle I6 is journalled in a bearing 46 formed in a boss 41 depending from the support lbracket 29 and a pulley 48 is keyed to the lower end of the spindle.

The spindle is adapted to be rotated by the belt 49 which i-s driven by a pulley 5D secured to an electric motor 5I attached to the base casting IIJ by the lbolts 52.

A worm 53 is keyed to the central portion of the spindle I6 and is held in place and prevented from moving longitudinally of the spindle by the collars 54 and 55 against which the inner races of the ball bearing 56 and 51 are jammed by the lock nuts 58 and 59.

The outer races of the ball bearings i-lt within the vertical bores formed in the gear housing 60 which is forced to partake of any reciprocating movement of the spindle due to the outer race of the ball bearing 51 being locked against the shoulder 6I of the hou-sing by the cap 62.

The gear housing 60 is prevented from rotating with the spindle I6 by a key 63 which is formed integral with the housing and which fits and slides in a Ispline 64 formed in the supporting bracket 29.

The gearhousing 60 is provided with horizontally extending bores ln which is journalled a shaft -66 having keyed thereto a worm wheel 61 which meshes with the worm 53 on the spindle I6. The shaft 66 extends from each end of the gear housing and the cranks 68 and 69 are secured to the shaft extensions by the set screws 10 and 1I.l With this construction. the cranks 68 and 69 revolve as long as the spindle I6 is rotating.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the supporting bracket 29 is provided with exten-sion arms 12 and 13 terminating in vertically extending bosses I4 and 16. A lever 18, having a closed crank pin engaging slot 11, 1s pivotally connected to the boss 14 by the pivot screw pin 18.- Another lever 19, having an open crank engaging face 88, is pivotally connected to the boss by the pivot screw pin 8|. A link 82 is pivoted at one end to the lever 16 by the shoulder screw 83 and at its other end to the lever 19 by the shoulder screw 84. Thus, movement of the link 82 moves both levers.

A bracket 85 having upstanding ears 86 and 81 is secured by screws 88 to the central portion of the link 82. A rod 89 is rotatably mounted in holes formed in the ears of the bracket 85 and a lever 98 located between the ears of the bracket is set screwed to the rod and prevents the rod from being withdrawn from the bracket. A hand knob 9| is secured to the end of the rod 89 and is adapted to be grasped -by an operator.

The end of the lever 98 remote from the rod 894 l Normally, the rod 89 is kept in a central position in a clockwise direction as he moves the knob.

laterally to the left as viewed in Fig. 3. Such I. movement of the hand knob causes the lever 98 to rock with the rod 89 until it presses upon the plunger |88 of a micro-switch |85 (Figs. 2 and 11) which closes an electric circuit to energize the holding coil |86 of a magnetic contactor |81 which in turn energizes the motor 5| and causes it to rotate the spindle I5 in a screw driving direction. Also, as the hand knob is moved laterally to the left, the link 82 is moved causing the closed slot 11 of the lever 18 to engage with the now revolving crank 68, as shown in Fig. 4, and the complete spindle I6 and gear housing 88 is'reciprocated upwardly at a rate which is less per revolution of the spindle than the lead or pitch of the wood screw thread on the wood screw F. This causes the wood screw F to bore a lead hole into the heel seat of the shoe S and into the` heel H to a depth determined by the throw ofthe crank 88 which is equal to approximately one-half of the length of the-wood screw F. Fig. 5 shows the spindle reciprocated upwardly to bore the lead hole.

The operator continues to keep the hand knob in a rotated position allowing the motor to constantly rotate the spindle, and, after the crank 68 has reciprocated the spindle downwardly to its initial position, which withdraws the wood screw from the shoe and heel and allows the chips to be cleared from the screw thread and the lead hole formed thereby as shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. '1, the hand knob 9| is moved laterally to the extreme right to disengage the closed slot 11 of the lever 18 from the crank 68 and to allow the lever 19 to move to bring the open face 88 thereof under the crank pin 69 as shown in Fig. 6.

As the crank 69 is still rotating, the spindle I6 is again reciprocated upwardly by virtue of the crank pin acting against the face 88, and reciprocatlon of the spindle continues until the wood screw F enters the lead hole formed in the heel H and engages with and threads into the material of the heel H. As soon as the wood screw threads engage with the heel material, the lead of the wood screw thread determines the rate at which the spindle reciprocates. This is possible due to the lead of the wood screw thread being greater perrevolution of the spindle than the rise affored by the rotating crank pin se.

When the wood screw F has been driven to the uppermost position and the screw driven to its nal depth into the heel H.

Reversing the rotation of the spindle I'S unscrews the spindle from its threaded connection with the wood screw F as shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 9, whereupon, the spindle falls by gravity to its lowest position as shown in Flg 1 and the reversing switch |88 is restored to its original position. i

After the spindle has been unscrewed from its connection with the wood screw the operator releases the hand knob 9| andthe knob is returned to a central position by the plunger 95. The spring 92 moves the lever 98 away from its conl tact with the switch |85 causing the motor to be de-energized. The heeled shoe is then removed from the last pin |1 and the machine is ready to receive another shoe. i

Referring to Fig. 18, there is shown :a modiiied method of securing the wood screw to the spindle. Such modification comprises forming a shallow recess |I1 into the end of the spindle H6 and screw threading same to receive the threaded head of the wood screw FI.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above described method and in the construction set forth, which embody the invention, may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall `be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of thev generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine for driving wood screws, comprising work holding means, a spindle reciprocable towards a work piece h'eld by said holding means, means for securing a wood screw to the end of said spindle, means for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said Ispindle towards said work piece at arate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the thread of the wood screw secu-red thereto until said wood screw has bored a lead hole into said work piece, means for allowing said spindle te reciprocate at a rate corresponding tothe lead of the thread of said wood screw until .said wood screw is driven into said work piece to the delsifred depth, and means for releasing said wood screw from said spindle, and for returning said spindle to its original position.

2. A machine for driving wood screws, comprising work holding means, a spindle reciprocable towards a work piece held by said holding means, means for securing a wood screw Vto the end of said spindle, means for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said spindle towards said work piece at a rate i which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the thread of the wood screw secured thereto until said wood screw has bored a lead hole into said work piece, means for reversing the direction of reciprocation of said spindle to withdraw said wood screw from said work piece and to clear the wood chips therefrom, means for again reciprocating said spindle towards said work piece to drive said wood screw into said work piece at a rate determined by the lead of the wood screw thread and to the desired depth, and means for releasing said wood screw from said spindle, and for returning said spindle to its original position.

3. A machine for driving wood screws, comprising work holding means, a spindle reciprocable towards a work piece held by said holding means, said spindle being adapted to have a wood screw secured to the end thereof by a screw thread, mea-ns for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said spindle toward said work piece at a .rate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the wood screw thread of a wood screw threaded to the end of said spindle until said wood screw has bored a lead hole into said work piece, means for allowing said spindle to reciprocate at a rate corresponding to the lead of the wood screw thread until said wood screw is driven into said work piece to the desired depth, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of said spindle to unscrew said wood screwv from said spindle and to allow said spindle to return to its original position.

4. A machine for driving wood screws, comprising work holding means, a spindle reciprocable towards a work piece held by said holding means, said spindle being adapted to have a w-ood screw secured to the end thereof by a screw thread, means for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said spindle toward said work piece at a rate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the wood screw thread of a wood screw threaded to end of said spindle until said wood screw has bored a lead hole into said work piece, means for reversing the direction of reciprocation of said spindle to withdraw said wood screwfrom said work piece and to clear the wood chips therefrom, means for again reciprocating said spindle towards said work piece to drive said wood screw into said work piece at a rate determined by the lead of the wood screw thread and to the desired depth, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of spindle to unscrew said wood screw from said spindle and to allow said spindle to return to its original position.

5. A machine for securing heels to shoes on lasts having screw receiving recesses therein, comprising a frame, a hollow last supporting pin mounted upon said frame, means for clamping a heel to a shoe having its last mounted upon said supporting pin, a screw driving spindle guided in said frame and passing through said hollow last supporting pin, said screw driving spindle being reciprocable towards the heel clamped to said shoe and having means for securing a wood screw to end thereof, means for rotating said spindle in a. screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said spindle at a rate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the thread of a wood secured thereto until a lead hole is bored into said heel, means for allowing said spindle to reciprocate at a rate corresponding tothe lead of said wood screw thread until said wood screw is driven deep enough into said heel to secure it to said shoe, and means for releasing said .wood screw from said spindle and for allowing said spindie to return to its original position.

6. In a heel attaching machine, the combination comprising a frame, a hollow last supporting pin, means for clamping a heel to a shoe and last mounted upon said last supporting pin, a reciprocable screw driving spindle guided in said frame and passing through said hollow last supporting spindle, means for securing a wood screw to the end of said spindle, means for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciprocating said spindle towards said shoe and heel to drive a wood screw secured thereto part way into said heel, means for reversing thedirection of reciprocation of said spindle to withdraw said wood screw from said heel, and means for thereafter again reciprocating said spindle to drive said screw into said heel to a depth required to rmly secure said heel to said shoe, for releasing said screw from said spindle, and for allowing said spindle to return to its downward position.

7. A machine for securing heels to shoes on lasts having screw receiving recesses therein, comprising a frame, a hollow last supporting pin mounted upon said frame, means for clamping a heel to a shoe having its last mounted upon said supporting pin, a screw driving spindle guided in said frame and passing through said hollow last supporting pin, said spindle being reciprocable towards the heel clamped to said shoe and having its end provided with a screw threaded portion to which 'the head end of a wood screw can be threaded, means for rotating said spindle in a screw driving direction, means for reciproeating said spindle towards said heel at a rate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of a wood screw thread of a wood screw I threaded thereto until a lead hole has been bored into said heel, means for reversing the direction of reciprocation of said spindle to withdraw said wood screw from said heel and to clear the wood chips therefrom, means for again reciprocating said spindle towards said heel and for allowing it to drive said wood screw to the depth required to firmly attach said heel to said shoe, and means for reversing the rotation of said spindle to unscrew it from its threaded connection with said wood screw and for allowing said spindle to return to its original position.

8. In a heel attaching machine, the combination comprising, a frame, a hollow last supporting pin mounted on said frame, means for clamping a heel to a shoe on a last supported by said pin, a housing slidable on said frame, a screw driver spindle `iournalled in said housing, one end of said spindle extending through said hollow last supporting pin and having a screw threaded portion to receive a correspondingly threaded portion in the head of a wood screw, a shaft `iournalled in said housing and extending at right angles to said spindle, gearing connecting said shaft and saidspindle, means for rotating said shaft and said spindle, a crank on each end of said shaft, means for engaging the crank on one end of said shaft to cause said housing and spindle to reciprocate towards the heel clamped to said shoe at a rate which is less per revolution of said spindle than the lead of the Wood screw thread of a wood screw threaded thereto until a lead hole has been bored into 'said heel and then to reverse reciprocation of said housing to return said spindle with the wood screw attached thereto to its original position, means for engaging the crank at the other end of said shaft to cause said housing and spindle l0 EDWARD F. SMAJILI... 

